Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Every year, the average American family spends more than $100 on energy costs to power appliances that have been turned off. These “vampire appliances” – like televisions, cable boxes, DVD players, etc. – continue to use power once we turn off the power switch. According to the Department of Energy, this vampire power accounts for 4 to 5 percent of the energy use in a home. As is the case with almost all appliances, when we turn something “off,” it’s still usually “on” in standby mode.